Refrigerant and process of making the same



h ll! lib NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT G. CRAWFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0HALLECK W.

SEAMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REFEIGEJRIANT AND PROCESS OF MAKINGTHE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

No Drawing. Original appiication filed February 5, 1918, Serial No.215,452. Divided and. this application filed October 14, 1918. SerialNo. 257,962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRefrigerants and Processes of Making the Same; and l[ do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The ingredients now used for refrigeration, such as ammonia gas, sulfurdioxid and ethyl chlorid, are objectionable for the reason that they arenot only corrosive tothe pipes or receptacles in which they are used,but are also poisonous in case of leakage, and are therefore not verydesirable for use commercially.

This invention pertains to a refrigerant made by the mixture ofcompounds .belonging to either the paraffin or ethylene series saidrefrigerant having no corrosive eflect upon pipes or receptacles inwhich it is placed, and furthermore, is non-poisonous, easily handled,and does not deteriorate, and this application is a division of myapplication filed February 5th, 1918, Serial No. 215,452.

It is an object of this invention to provide a refrigerant by mixinghydro-carbons of the paraffin or ethylene series in varying proportionsand subjecting the resultant mixtures to different pressures wherebyrefrigerants having different boiling} points are produced, dependingupon the proportions of the ingredients and the pressure to which theare subjected.

The fol owing is a full, clear and exact description of the ingredientsand process of mixing the same to form a refrigerant covering theprinciples of this invention.

The refrigerant producing the most satisfactory results cornmercially isformed by mixing substances of the paraihn series, namely 80% of normalbutane, (ml-T which has a boiling point of +l G, and 20% of propane, (lllii the boiling point of which is U, and subjecting the mixture to apressure of 45 pounds per square inch, the resultant mixture orrefrigerant having a boiling point of '10 C. By varying the proportions,using 45% of butane, and of propane and subjecting the mixture to apressure of pounds per square inch, a

refrigerant is produced having a boiling point of 18 C. The above areexamples of what different ropontions of butane and propane will pro uceb subjecting the resultant mixtures to di erent pressures, for obtainingrefrigerants having different boil- 1n%pomts.

utane and propane are used since the same produce, satisfactory resultsfrom a commercial standpoint, these hydro-carbons ous nature, but bymixing with other substances of the paraffin series, and subjecting thesame to pressure, a good refrigerant can be obtained.

I do not care to confine myself entirely totheuse of hydro-carbons ofthe. parafhn series, as good results are obtained by using members ofthe ethylene series. For example, ethylene, CJEL, having a boiling pointof -103 (1, can be mixed with other members of the paraflin or ethyleneseries, and by subjecting the mixture to pressure, a good refrigerantresults. The boiling point of the mixtures can be controlled by theproportions of the ingredients and the pressure to which the mixturesare subjected. Propylene, QH with a boiling point of -50 G, is alsocommercially feasible to use on account of its easy manufacture.Butylene, (DJ-T with a boiling point of +1 C. and amylene, C T-T with aboiling point of 36 G, can also be used in cer tain proportions of thesubstances, and subjecting the resultant mixture to pressure to obtainthe desired refrigerant.

It will, of course, be understood that any of the hydro-carbonsubstances of the paraflin or ethylene series may be mixed in de- 2sired proportions and then subjected to pressure to form refrigerantembodying the principles of this invention, and possessing commercialadvantages over ammonia and other refrigerants at present in common use.I am furthermore aware that numerous other details of my invention maybe varied through a wide range without departing from the principlesthereof, and I therefore do not pur ose limiting the patent grantedotherwise t an necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A refrigerant consisting of a gas of the ethylene series and propanemixed together so as to have a boiling temperature suitable forrefrigeration and subjected to a liquef'ying pressure.

2. A refrigerant produced by subjecting a mixture of propane and anotherhydro-carbon to liquefying pressure.

3. A refrigerant consisting of a mixture of propane and anotherhydro-carbon subjected to a liquefying pressure, the combined mixturehaving a boiling point below +1 0.-

4. The process of forming a refrigerant by mixing a plurality ofhydro-carbons of different series in proportions to afford a 25 boilingtemperature for the mixture suitable for refrigeration purposes, andsubjecting the mixture to a liquefying pressure.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two 30 subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT G. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

LAWRENCE REIBSTEIN, EARL M. HARDINE.

